


A Letter is Required

by ilovetomoeudagawa



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game), Violet Evergarden (Anime)
Genre: Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Moca Cameo, afterglow lives together, afterglow loves tsugu, auto memory doll tsugu, basically sayo is charlotte, it's because they're all gay for each other, minor yukilisa, rinko left for a bit, thats only because i forgot she existed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-16 11:38:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18520735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilovetomoeudagawa/pseuds/ilovetomoeudagawa
Summary: Princess Sayo of Hanasaki has been looking for an Auto Memory Doll ever since she was to write letters to the princess of Haneoka, Yukina. Yet, she has denied all but one.





	1. A Fair Maiden

**Author's Note:**

> probably a compilation of drabbles, chapters only related when mentioned.  
> Violet Evergarden Bandori AU

In the chamber of Princess Sayo, many have been coming forward to be chosen as Sayo's auto memory doll. Some men even going as far as to dress as women to get closer to the princess of Hanasaki.

"You disgust me. Throw him out." Sayo gritted through her teeth bitterly, angry that another one of those crossdressers had gotten past the guards.

"Wait please!" The man wailed as his wig was thrown on the floor and he was dragged out the large doors. Sayo glared with daggers in her green eyes towards him and he shrunk in himself.

"Rinko, when will I find a good doll...These amateurs are starting to get on my nerves, thinking they are good enough to be accepted by me. Honestly, these people are worthless." Sayo groaned, tired of seeing new dolls show up at her door.

"Hikawa-san, I wished you didn't have to be so harsh, but what you do say is true.. It is starting to annoy me as well. I suppose soon we'll have to question them before they show their work to you." Rinko sighed, reviewing the new applicant forms for tomorrow.

"Excuse me, there is one person left." A maiden of the palace opened the door, showing the last doll they have for today.

She was a pink haired girl, who looked to be the same age as Sayo. Her hair was short but curled, gathering at her shoulders. Dressed in a long, purple gown, she stepped in careful to not stumble.

"Good evening. My name is Aya Maruyama, and I am a doll from the south of Hanasaki. I hope you will accept me as your ghostwriter." Bowing, Aya dipped her head showing a small hair clip with pastel stars on it.

"Thank you Aya. Please write a letter to Yukina Minato of Haneoka, informing her of Hanasaki's development. Hanasaki has been growing in..." Sayo continued to drone about the contents of the letter until Aya had stopped typing the last word.

Handing it to Sayo, she read it carefully. It was good, but there was no emotion. And that pissed her off.

"You think this can be read to the princess of Haneoka? This letter is void of any emotion! This is unacceptable, there is nothing about this letter that can be labelled as 'enticing' or 'emotive'. Right now, it's just a piece of paper with words scribbled onto it!" Sayo yelled, unable to fight the growing anger at not finding a doll good enough. She towered over Aya and sneered at her, letting all her emotions out onto her.

"Why are you here if you can't even write a letter that dolls are supposed to write? Did you even go to a doll school and take lessons? Or are you just an amateur with no experience? Either way, this letter is unacceptable and disgusting and you are a failure. Get out of my sight!" 

Unable to take it anymore, Aya got up and ran out the door with tears streaming down her face. Sayo's words rang through her ears, and she wasn't thinking where she was going. 

"Aya, I'm sure she did that to many others before you so don't beat yourself up. Cheer up for us alright?" Chisato chimed as Aya talked to her about what happened. Laying on the couch, Aya was tired after crying her eyes out.

"Ah, did you hear about the fair maiden of Haneoka? Apparently she was rejected from their princess so she's here in HanasakI!" Eve grinned, showing Aya the newspaper article. The girl in the photograph looked like any other girl, completely ordinary. A pang of jealousy rung through Aya's heart as she read on.

"The fair maiden doll of Haneoka was sighted in Hanasaki! Could it be, she is applying to be the princess Hikawa's doll?" The headline wrote in big bold letters. Nobody knows her real name, and nobody knows who she is other than she writes the best letters out of the whole of Haneoka.

To Aya, she looked very familiar. "Hazawa-san...?"

 

"Hikawa-san, I think you were too harsh with Aya-chan there." Rinko chided as she flipped through the doll applications. Jolting, Rinko nearly fell out her seat as she read the name of one of them. "What..?!"

Sayo looked up from her book, startled from Rinko's sudden yell. "What is it, Rinko?"

 

Almost shoving the document in Sayo's face, Rinko showed her the application. "It's the fair maiden of Haneoka!"


	2. The Princess's Judgement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im still not very used to writing actual stories instead of things without plot so it may seem really out of order lol Sayo didn't

"It's the fair maiden of Haneoka!"

Rinko's emotions were mixed. Many questions flew to her mind, most about why the maiden was in Hanasaki and not Haneoka. 

"Why is she here? Haneoka's citizens should remain in their own kingdom. We will not allow this!" Sayo demanded, gesturing Rinko to throw the document in the trash.

"Hikawa-san, I have a feeling you don't know who she is." Rinko handed the form into Sayo's hands, a little crumpled from Rinko's earlier surprise. Sayo looked into her eyes on the photograph. It was a little covered by her short, brown hair, but she could see the deep brown eyes of the doll, hypnotising her instantly.

"Hazawa...Tsugumi?" Sayo spoke her name out loud, the name rolling off her tongue nicely. Sayo didn't want to admit that she liked the girl after reading her summary, but she reconsidered her choice.

Perhaps it was the captivating eyes of Tsugumi, or it was the beautiful, coffee brown hair of hers. Either way, she accepted it and ordered Rinko to bring her in last tomorrow.

After hearing Rinko passionately talk about Tsugumi's widely-known talents, Sayo found she was interesting. A doll who also works in her family-owned cafe? It was no wonder she worked so fast and told the brightest emotions of her clients. After all, she interacted with people almost everyday. 

A warmth filled her heart when she thought of her at night. Still holding onto the photograph of Tsugumi, her chocolate eyes gleaming back at her with a solemn expression, Sayo smiled for the first time in a while.

- 

The day of tomorrow finally came after Sayo forced herself to sleep. Dressed in a teal green gown this time, she awoke to knocking at her door. "Sayo-nee~! It's me~!"

Recognising the voice immediately, Sayo groaned. "Hina, why are you here so early?"

"Huh? It's already 10am! I told you already I was coming to visit today!" Sayo facepalmed as she remembered Rinko telling her that her sister was visiting her first instead of a doll. Hina wondered if Sayo was still half asleep. Looking at her watch, she invited herself into her sister's chamber.

Dressed in the usual fashion of Haneoka, a combination of a quite masculine shirt with a long grey skirt, Hina waltzed in to Sayo still applying the little makeup she is required to wear. 

"Onee-chan, your kingdom is so weird! Everyone has to look so proper and that's just not boppin'~" Hina commented, looking at Sayo's very plain room. Even though the walls were a teal green composure, the room itself felt quite empty.

"Be happy that you get to stay in here. God, I wonder who let you inside in the first place. It's your fault you decided to transfer status to Haneoka and leave the rest of us here." Sayo grunted, reminding Hina that she is considered a traitor of Hanasaki to her even though that hatred was mostly burned from Sayo feeling inferior to Hina.

"Well, our parents said it was okay! Even then I'm still second in line to Princess Minachi~" "Who let you call her that?! You have no respect!"

Hina giggled as Sayo faced her bitterly, as though Hina thought Sayo looked absolutely hilarious when angry. "Lisa-nee did! And Minachi is totally fine with it, I think~" "Thinking is not a good enough excuse!"

The clock chimed, notifying the twins that it was 10:30. The time for the first doll to come in.

"That's my cue to leave now~ I'll see you soon Onee-chan!" Hina grinned as she danced back outside Sayo's door. Annoyed that her time to get ready was cut short by Hina's arrival, Sayo quickly got up to greet Rinko and sit ready to meet the coming dolls for the day.

After several uninteresting dolls had come in, (luckily there were no crossdressers) Sayo sighed tiredly as she waited for Tsugumi's arrival. She thought of her very differently from the others. What was it about her that made her so appealing? She'd have to find out.

"Miss, your last doll for today."

"Good evening, Princess Hikawa. My name is Hazawa Tsugumi. I am from the west of Haneoka. I have transferred here to apply as your doll after I was rejected by Princess Minato."

Even after trying hard not to show her surprise, Rinko's face was in a state of shock. Was Yukina out of her mind? To reject one of the best dolls of Haneoka, what was she thinking?

"Right, thank you. Please write a letter from me to Hina Hikawa, the second in line."

Tsugumi jolted. She had been expecting her to request a letter for Minato-san. She hadn't expected the Hanasaki princess to ask for a letter directed to her twin sister, especially in this situation.

"Hazawa-san, are you alright? Did you hear what I just said?" Sayo realised Tsugumi had frozen in place.

"S-Sorry! I was just out of my mind just then. Please repeat what you just said." Tsugumi answered, flustered she had messed up in front of a girl she admired. 

After writing a letter to Hina, a letter that was full of information and demands for her, Tsugumi's heart pounded as Sayo read over her letter. Reading it after it was done, Tsugumi had felt she hadn't tried her best at all since she wasn't even prepared for this request.

Even then, Sayo's eyes sparkled as she read over the words. They didn't scream at her nor did they overlap. Instead, they flowed and shone off the page. Even watching Tsugumi type on the typewriter had Sayo captivated and almost stumbling on her words. Suddenly, she realised this is what made Tsugumi different. She was graceful, everything made from her flowing. Even her appearance had Sayo's jaw gaping wide open.

"Hikawa-san, please announce your judgement." Rinko chimed, smiling as she saw Sayo sparkling whilst reading the page.

Smiling at Tsugumi, a smile filled with warmth that she hasn't shown in several days, she handed back the page with a grateful expression.

"Hazawa-san, you are the new doll for Hanasaki's princess."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there you go, a terrible ending since it's by me haha  
> That concludes the introductory arc to how they met! They next few will probably just be small scenarios out of their daily lives~


	3. hina visits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i had half the chapter completely written out then it got deleted so fuck you ao3  
> also sorry for disappearing off the face of earth for a week, was a bit busy and unmotivated.  
> btw, in case everyone is confused, i use 'doll' and 'ghostwriter' as shorter forms of writing auto memory doll.

"Good morning Hik- Sayo-san!" Tsugumi stuttered as she was still not used to addressing the princess by her first name. Sayo insisted it was so she didn't mix up her and her twin sister, but considering how close they've been lately it could be for a whole new reason. Not that Tsugumi thought she was worth more than that, she definitely thought it was enough to work for Sayo and be a close friend of hers.

"Ah, good morning, Tsugumi-san. Is my sister near the door?" Sayo smiled, a face you probably wouldn't have seen very often until Tsugumi came along. She didn't tell Tsugumi that though, it would only make her admit her feelings for Tsugumi. It's not like she was in love-

"Onee-chan!! I was waiting so long for you, you're so late!!" Disrupting Sayo's thoughts, Hina presented herself proudly in Sayo's room, clearly showing she was right there as she was asked about. "Wha- Hina! Don't you have any manners?! How long have you been here for?!" Sayo, utterly surprised yet she shouldn't be, stood up in instinct. It was always habit for her to stand up straight when she was surprised or shocked, Tsugumi had noticed. 

"Sayo-nee~ I was here since the middle of the darkness! I was knocking as soon as I got here, yet nobody answered my call from the outside!" Hina whined, clearly thinking going to another kingdom's palace at the dead of the night was a normal thing.

"Hina, you do not disturb my servants like that! I'm sure they already hate you already, but you must apologise to them right now!" Sayo scolded her sister, furious that Hina disturbed the maids on the first floor.

"Don't worry about that Onee-chan~ I'm here for Tsugu-chan anyway!" Hina grinned, placing her hands on the shoulders of the shorter Tsugumi, (though she was not much taller, it was only because of her heels) she smiled. "I asked Tsugu-chan to come back to Haneoka to help write some personal letters for me~ But I came to ask for your permission! I would totally ask Kaoru-chan to write my letters if they were fancy formal ones, but Tsugu-chan is the writer made for this task!" Hina explained, while slowly pacing to Sayo.

"And you've been spending too much time with her, I'm going to steal her away from you for a bit~" Sayo flushed at the last comment, her ears glowing red after realising what Hina was implying. She shouldn't be feeling jealous!

"Alright, I'll reluctantly agree to your request. But if you do anything to her I will tell you to send her back in an instant." Sayo glared at Hina for making her break her composure, especially in front of  _her_.

Clapping her hands together, Hina cheered. "Yay onee-chan! Thank you~" Wrapping her arm around Tsugumi's shoulders, she whispered in her ear, "Now make a move towards my sister for this time being~ Go get her!" 

Blushing furiously, Tsugumi really wondered what she had gotten herself into. It wasn't that she didn't like Hina-chan, she just really knew what buttons to press to make her express whichever emotion. She also wondered how Hina figured out her feelings for Sayo, but it wasn't her right to question one of the geniuses of Haneoka. After Hina left the both of them in embarrassed messes, Sayo requested Tsugumi to go pack whatever she needed for her time with Hina.

* * *

Even though she lived in Haneoka for her whole life, it felt entirely different to visit her initial kingdom as an auto memory doll. The only time she ever went to the Haneoka palace was when she was rejected by Princess Yukina. Panicking inside, Tsugumi hoped she wouldn't run into her. Slowly getting out of the carriage that brought her to the palace doors, she knocked hoping that Hina would already be there to greet her. Unfortunately it was just another maid, of course dressed in the traditional Haneoka fashion.

"G-Good morning! My name is Tsugumi Hazawa. I'm here to see Hina Hikawa, to fulfil her request given to me, an auto memory doll." Tsugumi bowed as a polite gesture taught to her by her parents. The maid brought her up the endless staircase to Hina's room, where she was still sitting on her bed supposedly thinking.

"Hikawa-san, your guest is here." The maid was not formal with her words, Tsugumi supposed it had to do with Hina not actually being a part of the royalty in Haneoka.

"Tsugu-chan! Thanks for coming~ First of all, did you make a move with my sister~?" Hina winked, hoping for a positive answer. A bit surprised with the sudden question, Tsugumi shook her head. "Aww~ I'm sure you will anyway! Ah, anyway you're here to write letters to Sayo!" Hina exclaimed, clasping her hands together in excitement.

"Wh-What?!" Tsugumi's emotions were muddled up in confusion. She was supposed to write letters  _for_ Sayo, not  _to_ Sayo! What was Hina thinking?!

"Now don't worry! You won't be writing that it's from me or from you! In fact, you're going to be her little secret admirer!" Hina grinned, sparkles in her eyes. She had no intention to let Tsugumi go back to Hanasaki after she got this far with her plan.

"W-Wait!! I shouldn't be doing this, she knows exactly what my writing style is like!" "That's what you're worrying about? That's the point, Tsugu-chan! You have to tell her that you love her someday! Plus, you'll be such a cute sister-in-law!" "Huhhh?!!"

Tsugumi was in utter confusion and having a meltdown. She was sat at the desk Hina had given to her to type, still worrying about what Sayo will think of her. "Hina-chan!! Help me out!!"

"No way~ This is a task for you! Just write your feelings about Sayo on the page~"

Calming down after several minutes, Tsugumi got to work. It wasn't hard to write what she thought of Sayo. As she worked till late at night, her graceful fingers clicking away at the typewriter, Hina fell asleep.

After finishing her letter, she remembered not to sign it and leave it anonymous. In the morning, she had given it to the mailman, only writing the Hanasaki's palace's address on the front and addressing it to Hikawa Sayo.

Now it was just to wait and see what her reaction was.

* * *

"Hikawa-san, your mail for the day." Rinko had come back from her holiday earlier than she intended, only because Tsugumi had left for the time being. Placing a small sack full of letters in front of Sayo, she got up and left to do her daily duties for the Hikawa palace.

Flipping through her mail was a pain, as it usually consisted of thirsty men who wanted to marry Sayo or businesses that just want the publicity that comes from being endorsed by the Hanasaki princess. However, one particular letter stood out to her. A carefully sealed, cream envelope with nothing but the Hanasaki's palace's address and Sayo's name on the front. Curiously, Sayo opened it.

_Dear Sayo,_

_You are the petals of my flowers, the sun to my sky. As always, I long for you, and wish you were beside me, holding me in your arms. I have admired you since you rose to the public audience, shown your powerful self to me. A strongest woman of my desires, you are what makes me complete. There could be no one else better for me other than you. You shine from day till night, your smile a cool warmth in my heart._

_From the day I had met you for the first time, nothing could replace the joy I feel being beside you everyday. Your princess title is nothing but a title, as it doesn't change the way I think of you: human. Human like me. I realise that with you, there is no worry. Because it is you there, that I feel utmost comfortable with. Every time I see you, I know that I am safe._

_Even though I could never show it right in front of you,_

_I love you._

Sayo didn't realise how moved she was by this anonymous letter until two teardrops fell onto the letter. Oh, how she wished this was signed. She would treasure this letter, a letter that moved her so much as to cry. It felt amazing to feel loved. She wanted to find out where this came from, who had sent it, and treasure them.

She didn't realise someone was watching her the whole time.

* * *

The letters came everyday, for a week. Each one had a different message, but all of them included their response to Sayo's reaction. Sayo thought of it as suspicious, surely there wasn't anyone watching her, and she never sent a letter back.

A week since the first letter, the letter didn't come that day. Instead, it was Tsugumi that came back.

"Sayo-san! I'm back!" Tsugumi smiled, a smile that radiated so much happiness. 

"What's gotten you into such a good mood lately?" Sayo smiled, happy that Tsugumi was happy. "Aha, it's nothing! Hina-chan was very nice to me though! I didn't realise I'd be staying for a whole week~" Tsugumi chuckled, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

Sayo felt a little empty, even though Tsugumi had come back. Her familiar sense of forgetfulness had come back. What was she forgetting? Tsugumi had gone into her dorm in the palace, shouldn't Sayo be happy..?

No, Sayo knew what happened. It was too convenient, the timing matched up and everything.

* * *

"Tsugumi-san, can I talk to you for a second?" Sayo knocked on Tsugumi's door, trying to listen to what she was doing. "Of course, please come in!" Tsugumi's pleasant voice trailed through the door. Opening it, Sayo could see Tsugumi was working on a letter. "It's a request from one of my childhood friends that I'm working on!" Tsugumi chimed, noticing Sayo was staring.

"Tsugumi-san..did you write this letter?" Sayo asked sliding the envelope to Tsugumi. Suddenly, Tsugumi's hands stopped and dropped to her lap.

"Sayo-san..yes I did. I'm sorry if you didn't like it or anything, I just didn't know how to-" Tsugumi was cut off to Sayo kissing her on the lips. Though Tsugumi was taken by surprise, she melted in to the kiss. After releasing each other to take a breath, they opened their eyes to each other.

"Tsugumi-san, I love you too. You don't need letters to tell me how much you love me, because I already realise your actions speak louder. I love you." Sayo smiled towards Tsugumi, now a significant gesture towards her.

Tears sprung to Tsugumi's eyes, "S-Sayo-san..I love you so much.." They reached in for another kiss, more passionate this time.

-

Hina looked from outside Tsugumi's window with Tsugumi's friend Moca. "Honestly they're just so weird!" "Aww, I have to tell our other babes about this~ Tsugu's finally grown up!"

"All because of me~"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the longest chapter and i hope that makes up for the gap? kudos and comments appreciated~


	4. Sunset Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter also doesn't tie in with any chapter and this takes place before Sayo chose Tsugumi! it's tsugumi's pov in this fic  
> also theres some very lowkey ykrn because i love them

"Aww, our wittle Tsugu is growing up~" Moca babytalked, though her reason was kind. Tsugumi's group of childhood friends had come to visit Tsugumi before she headed off to the Haneoka palace. Himari cried tears of joy when she heard Tsugumi was going to become the ghostwriter for the princess of Haneoka. 

"Hii-chan, it's not confirmed if I am going to be her ghostwriter though! I feel like there's already so many people better than me.." "Are you kidding Tsugu? You're practically famous in Haneoka!" Tomoe chimed, giving support to Tsugumi.

"Well, Yukina-san isn't that great of a princess either way. Even if you don't become her ghostwriter, I find Sayo-san from Hanasaki a better option for you." Ran frowned. She wasn't exactly happy that Tsugumi was going to be near Yukina.

_Already as a child, Yukina had run out on the streets to chase after a cat. Not many people could recognise the lilac-haired girl, and nobody bothered to help her. Yukina butted heads with Ran as she turned the corner. "Ow!" Ran yelped, her butt falling on the ground. "Get out of my way!" Yukina dashed for the cat, until it jumped into the bush._

_"You're seriously chasing after a cat? Hahaha!" Ran laughed, finding the concept of a girl in a purple gown chasing after a cat hilarious. "Hey! You're a child too and I'm older than you!" "So? You're a bigger child than I am. Aren't you the princess? Shouldn't you be running around in your hallways?" Ran was bitter about royalty. Jealous as she may be, it didn't help that she was talking to the princess right now. Even though she was the daughter of a famous florist, it didn't equal how special Yukina was just from being born. "Hmph, the palace is boring! Besides, there aren't any cats. Mother won't let me get one." Yukina crossed her arms, looking to see if the cat was nearby._

_"Well, I'll be off then. Hopefully I won't see you again." Ran got up and walked away. She didn't want to bother with Yukina, she was just so boring to talk to._

_Yukina felt annoyed, she liked to talk to Ran. And she thought she was pretty. Yukina felt regret bubbling up, angry her first impression made Ran hate her already. "Sorry, Ran.." She mumbled under her breath._

"Aww Ran~ Don't you like Yukichi~" Moca teased, but she didn't know if that was true or not. Ran blushed, "T-That's not true! She's so annoying!"

"You only ever meet her when you're doing flower business with the royals aren't you? Your family is really famous especially after you started having frequent ceremonies with her." "Yeah, and I still hate talking to her! She always just talks to her friend, 'Lisa' or something. When you talk to her she talks like a robot, it's so frustrating!" Ran complained. After, everyone in the group blinked, and Moca spoke first.

"Oh~ Is somebody jealous?" She teased, Ran getting redder in the face. "Moca!!"

Tsugumi chuckled. Even though she didn't want to admit it, she was incredibly nervous. "Oh! Look who's outside Hii-chan~" Tomoe pointed outside the window.

Out there stood Kaoru Seta, a famous poet and ghostwriter. She was well-known for writing her words in such a flow that it would touch everybody's hearts, and make even the coldest of people feel warmth and cry.

Himari was a huge fan of Kaoru, mostly for her beauty but also for her letters. Kaoru spun, passing letters to everyone around her. "My little kittens~ Must you all adore I if you have come here looking for me? I present my kittens with presents~"

Himari dashed out and waved to Kaoru. "Kaoru-senpai!! I love you!!" "Ahh my delightful Hii-chan, here is a letter for you~ My biggest fan!" Himari squealed as she caught the letter Kaoru handed to her. More women surrounded the masculine Kaoru, and Himari dashed back into the shared house.

"Guys!! I got a letter from Kaoru-san!!" Himari nearly fainted as she opened the envelope. "Waah~ Himari you're so lucky to be noticed by a person of your admiring!" Tsugumi smiled, happy for Himari but a twinge of jealousy ran through her heart.

Was it wrong for her to admire a person outside of her own kingdom?

* * *

"Tsugu~! We'll be rooting for you!" Tomoe waved as the carriage rode away, carrying a waving Tsugumi in it. "I'll be back soon!" The sun was going down. It truly reminded all five of them of their favourite time of the day.

Stepping outside the carriage, she knocked on the palace's big doors. A girl with light brown hair answered, "Ah~ Tsugumi is it? My name is Lisa. Come in, Yukina is waiting." Tsugumi followed Lisa as her thoughts ran through her head. So this was who Ran was talking about? It does seem they are close friends, especially calling each other on a first name basis.

"Good morning, my name is Tsugumi Hazawa. I am from the west of Haneoka. I hope my performance today will impress you." Tsugumi bowed.

"Good, please seat yourself here." Yukina gestured towards a desk where Tsugumi could sit. "Now please write a letter towards Hikawa Sayo of Hanasaki..."

The sun went down long ago, but the letter was done. Tsugumi didn't know what came over her, suddenly she couldn't write as good as she usually does.

"Tsugumi, what is this nonsense?" Yukina's sharp voice pierced the awkward silence. Tsugumi hung her head. Of course she failed. It was inevitable, she'd never live up to a princess' expectation.

"Tsugumi, your letter is not acceptable, but it is not bad either. I admire your obvious persistence to fix several areas, but you are rejected from this position." Yukina said bluntly, even though her tone was kind. Yukina liked Tsugumi, her words had flowed but the words themselves did not express emotion. Perhaps writing formally was not in Tsugumi's form of expertise.

"Thank you, Minato-san. I will take my leave now." Tsugumi got up and left, but not before she glanced at Lisa's sympathetic face. She never wanted to see that face again.

When she got off the carriage at the shared house, Tomoe was the only one still awake. "Tsugu! Welcome back! Mind telling me how it went?" Tomoe smiled, until she saw Tsugumi had tears in her eyes. "Tsugu, are you alright? How about you come inside and chat to me for a bit?"

 

Tomoe and Tsugumi sat on the couch, with Tsugumi lying in Tomoe's lap. She fell asleep a while ago, and Tomoe didn't want to bother her by waking her up. Instead, she placed a blanket over the two of them and fell asleep.

* * *

"Ara!! What's this? Tsugumi came back and didn't even say hello!!" Himari whined, but quiet enough so that she didn't wake the both of them up. Tomoe and Tsugumi were sleeping still soundly when the other three woke up.

Honestly, the whole situation can be taken out of context. In the middle of the night, Tsugumi woke up but instead fell asleep again on Tomoe's shoulder. She decided she liked this, and didn't experience it often.

"Ran, don't they look so cute like this!?" "Haa~ Hii-chan is really excited every time she sees this sort of thing hmm? Even though we're all like sisters~" Moca teased. Ran peeked around the corner while she was still cooking. "Don't disturb me!"

After breakfast was served, Ran woke the two up. "C'mon Tsugu and Tomoe, wake up. I made food for everyone." "Mmm.. Lisa-san go away.."

Everyone blinked, confused as Tsugumi continued to sleep-talk. "Tsugu~ Wake up~" Tomoe, now awake, shook Tsugumi until her eyes blinked open. "A-Ah, good morning.."

* * *

Everyone decided to not talk about Tsugumi's sleeptalking and decided to talk about what happened between her and Yukina. 

"Ah..I was rejected by her. I think I didn't write properly at all. She said my writing was good though...if that helps.." Tsugumi took a sip of her tea and continued to sit with her hands on her lap. "Are you going to go to Hanasaki now? If you decide to, we'll always support whatever your decisions are." Ran gestured to the four of them, all supporting Tsugumi through and through.

"Thanks guys..I think I will apply for Princess Sayo. I'll travel to Hanasaki tomorrow." Tsugumi decided, before going to pack her bags.

_The rest is written in Chapter 2._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly this got so boring like really fast, i felt really unmotivated writing this and i was only thinking about finishing it. snuck in some of that tomotsugu because they're so pure and i love them  
> hopefully next chapters won't be as boring, but good job for reading this far


End file.
